Liverpool planning to finalise deal for “unpredictable” star

Liverpool continued their perfect start to the 2024/25 Champions League campaign by beating the ten-men of Lille 2-1 at Anfield on Tuesday night.

Goals from Mo Salah and Harvey Elliott secured all three points for the Reds, who have now won all seven of their matches in the league phase of the competition.

Arne Slot has made a perfect start to life at Anfield, with his side also sitting at the top of the Premier League table, and will be hoping to win at least one piece of major silverware this season.

The Dutch head coach’s performance in the 2024/25 campaign is particularly impressive when you consider that he only made one senior signing last summer, which was the arrival of the rarely-seen Federico Chiesa.

Slot has not had the opportunity to bring his own players in to bolster the squad, but could see more activity this year with the January and summer transfer windows available to work in.

In fact, Liverpool are reportedly interested in reuniting the manager with one of his former players at the end of this season, with a summer swoop for a new forward on the cards.

Liverpool eyeing £10m forward

According to Africa Foot, Liverpool are one of the clubs eyeing up a move to sign Feyenoord winger Anis Hadj Moussa, as they look to add to their options at the top end of the pitch.

The report does not name any of the other teams interested in a swoop for the Algeria international but does mention that the Reds are the ‘closest’ side to the 22-year-old dynamo, which suggests that they are leading the race to secure his signature.

It states, however, that a switch in the January transfer window is unlikely and that any move is more likely to happen in the summer, after the 2024/25 campaign has concluded.

Africa Foot adds that Barry Hunter, Liverpool’s head of recruitment, has already been in contact with the player’s agents to discuss a potential move to Anfield for their client.

The outlet also reveals that the Reds are planning to ‘finalise’ a transfer for the left-footed star in the summer for a fee of around €12m (£10m), although they are yet to formally agree a fee with Feyenoord.

It states that a strong second half of the season for Hadj Moussa could see that figure of £10m soar, which means that Liverpool could have to splash more cash if his form improves.

The Reds have swooped to sign players from Feyenoord in the past and they will be hoping that this potential move goes as well as their deal to sign Dirk Kuyt in the summer of 2006 did.

Dirk Kuyt’s Liverpool career

Liverpool signed the Dutch attacker from the Eredivisie outfit after he had enjoyed an incredible 2005/06 campaign at the top end of the pitch with his former club.

The versatile forward, who could play out wide on the right or through the middle as a striker, scored 22 goals and provided 19 assists in 33 league matches for Feyenoord, which convinced the Reds to sign him that summer.

He did not replicate those incredible levels of production in the final third during his time in England, but he did emerge as a consistent and reliable contributor for the club throughout his six years on Merseyside.

The Netherlands international racked up 71 goals and 41 assists in 285 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool, which shows that the attacker provided plenty of quality at the top end of the pitch from a wide or central position.

Kuyt, who scored in the League Cup final against Cardiff in 2012, was a successful signing from the Eredivisie and proved himself to be a solid option for the club for more than half a decade.

Slot could now find Liverpool’s next version of the Dutch attacker by swooping to sign Hadj Moussa from Feyenoord in the summer transfer window, whether that is for £10m or a larger fee if his form improves.

Why Anis Hadj Moussa could be Dirk Kuyt

The 22-year-old talent could be the second Feyenoord winger to come to Liverpool and achieve success, as the Dutchman did, as he has shown plenty of promise with his performances for the club this season.

Hadj Moussa has been particularly impressive in the Champions League for the Dutch outfit, with a return of three goals and one ‘big chance’ created in five appearances, including two starts.

The Algerian whiz, who Dutch legend Ruud Gullit described as an “unpredictable player”, ranks within the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Champions League this season for non-penalty goals per 90 (1.06), and the top 12% for progressive carries per 90 (6.00).

These statistics show that he has been able to make the step up to compete against top teams in Europe, showcasing his quality as both a goalscorer and as a player who can progress play by carrying the ball up the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, Hadj Moussa has also caught the eye in the Eredivisie, despite limited starts, with six goals and ‘big chances’ created in seven starts.

This means that the £10m-rated star has scored six goals and created four ‘big chances’ in nine starts across the Eredivisie and the Champions League combined, which speaks to his ability to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

The Algeria international still needs to find more consistency in his game to become a regular starter, given that Feyenoord have not trusted him to start week-in-week-out, but he could arrive at Anfield as a squad player, to begin with, and develop into being a key player in the future.

Hadj Moussa is a forward who has the potential to be a Kuyt-like figure for Slot, who worked with him at Feyenoord, by coming over from the Netherlands to provide a reliable, but unspectacular, threat from a wide position.